Mute attachment for pianos.



' PATBNTED FEB. 4, 1908.

E. PPEIPER.

MUTE ATTACHMENT POE PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/TNESSES arm g A TTORNE Y8 No. 878,421. PATENTED FEB. 1908.

- B. I. PPEIFER.

MUTE ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BYM a A TTOBNEYS- EDMUND IRWIN PFEIFER, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

MUTE ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Joell-cation filel Jul: 3. 1907- Serial No. 382,052.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND IRWIN Prer- FER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Mute Attachment for Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mute attachment for pianos, arranged to permit of instantly changing the piano from an active one to a mute piano and vice versa, and without impairing the touch when the parts are in either the mute or active position, at the same time preventing wear of the action parts by throwing the piano action completely into a position of rest during the time the mute attachment is in service.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the improvement as applied, and showing the mute attachment in active position and the piano action out of service with the exception of the keys, the section being on the line 11 of Fig. 3 Fig. 2 is a like view of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and showing the mute attachment out of action, and Fig. 3 is a sectional front view of the improvement on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

On the key-board. frame A of a piano are mounted in the usual manner the keys B, provided at their rear ends with capstans O engaging the lifter rods D of the piano action employed for sounding the strings E.

The lifter rods D are provided with lugs D adapted to be engaged by a mute rail F of a mute attachment, and provided at its ends w th trunnions F journaled in brackets G attached to the key-board frame A. On the rail F are secured springs H, one for each key B, and the said springs H are engaged by a rail I held adjustably on bolts J attached to the mute rail F, to permit of adjusting the rail I with a view to increase or decrease the tension of the springs H. On the mute rail F is secured a forwardly projecting arm F connected by a link K with a hand lever L fulcrumed on a swivel N mounted on the key-board frame A, the said lever L being adapted to engage recesses or notches O or O formed on a bracket 0 attached to the key-board frame A.

Now when the several parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the hand lever L is locked in the upper notch O of the bracket O, then the mute attachment is in an inactive position, to permit playing the piano in the usual manner on the player manipulating the keys B. Then it is desired to throw the mute attachment into service then the operator takes hold of thehand lever L, disengages the same from the notch O and then swings the lever downward and into engagement with the notch 0 to lock the lever L in its lowermost position. In swinging the lever L downward the link K causes a rocking movement of the mute rail F, whereby the latter engages and lifts the lugs D, thus lifting the lifter rods D off the capstans 0, thereby throwing the piano action out, of service. When the mute rail F is rocked as described, the springs H move with their free ends in engagement with the tops of the keys B, thus placing the keys under the tension of the sprin s H, the tension of which is adjusted to such an extent as to correspond to the pressure exerted by the lifter rods D on the piano keys B at the time the mute attachment is not in service and the piano is played in the regular manner. Now it is evident that when the mute attachment is moved into active position, as above described and illustrated in Fig. 1, and the player plays the keys B, then the latter are under the same tension by the action of the springs H, as the piano action when in service, that is, the touch is the same whether the piano action or the mute attachment is in use. hen it is desired to throw the mute attachment out of service, it is only necessary for the operator to return the hand lever L to its uppermost position shown in Fig. 2, to disengage the rail F from the lugs D and to swing the springs H out of engagement with the keys B.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the mute attachment is in service the piano action is in a position of rest, and consequently all wear on the piano action is pre vented during the time the player manipulates the keys B while the mute attachment is'in service.

The mute attachment is very simple and durable in construction and can be readily applied to pianos as now constructed.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a mute attachment for pianos, keys, a piano action having lifter rods, a rocking rail for engagement with the lifter rods, to lift the said rods off the keys, and springs carried by the rail for engagement with the keys at the time the rail is in engagement with the lifter rods.

2. A piano having keys, a piano action provided with lifter rods having lugs, a mute rail mounted to rock and in position to engage the said lugs, to lift the lifter rods off the keys, and springs on the said rail for engaging the keys at the time the lifter rods are lifted off the keys.

3."'A piano having keys, a piano action provided with lifter rods having lugs, a mute rail mounted to rock and in position to engage the said lugs to lift the lifter rods off the keys, springs on the said rail for engaging the keys at the time the lifter rods are lifted off the keys, and means for regulating the tension of the said springs.

. 4. A piano having keys, a piano action provided with lifter rods having lugs, a mute rail mounted to rock and in position to en gage the said lugs, to lift the lifter rods off the keys, springs on the said rail for engaging the keys at the time the lifter rods are lifted ofi the keys, and manually controlled rocking means for rocking the said mute rail.

5. A piano having keys, a piano action provided with lifter rods having lugs, a mute rail mounted to rock and in position to engage the said lugs, to lift the lifter rods off the keys, springs on the said rail for engaging the keys at the time the lifter rods are lifted off the keys, manually controlled rocking means for rockin the said mute rail, and locking means for ocking the said rocking means in position.

6. A piano having keys, a piano action provided with lifter rods having lugs, a mute rail mounted to rock and in position to engage the said lugs, to lift the lifter rods off the keys, springs on the said rail for engaging the keys at the time the lifter rods are lifted off the keys, an arm projecting from the said mute rail, a hand lever, and a link connecting the said arm with the said hand lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' EDMUND IRW IN PFEIFER.

itnesses R. A. PFEIFER, C. O. WIDERsTRoM. 

